So… this week, the topic of censorship keeps popping up as a topic of conversation in and out of classes.
What do I mean when I say “censorship“? Well, this time, it’s in reference to books. Why some people think they are more fit to determine what is “right” and “wrong” for the whole of society is beyond me. Many people probably still remember the whole “Harry Potter” controversy that ruled the world more than a decade ago (when the books first came out and started gaining popularity, especially in the US). I had the extreme honor of witnessing it first hand (being in Catholic school K-12, in a town run by Polish-Catholics), and even though I was ten, I still remember it vividly.
It was banned from the schools, the libraries, the bookstores, pretty much the whole town. We weren’t allowed to have it in school, even if it was our own copy, because it was all about magic and witchcraft and was “the devil’s handbook,” or some nonsense like that. My mom read the first book before me, then handed it over and said: “There’s no harm in you reading this.”
Since then, this series has become some of my all-time favorite books and sometimes I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that it was “taboo” when I first started reading it, not to mention it’s awesome plots and characters.
I know I’m not the only one to have experiences with books being censored, but I wonder how many other people had reactions similar to mine when it comes to “tabooed” books.
Geronimo 